Jewelry with hidden compartment

ABSTRACT

An article of jewelry preferably in the form of a pendant having a hollow compartment therein which is accessible by a threaded or press fitted cap which upon opening the container permits access to an article retaining apparatus. The article retaining apparatus can be solid, hollow or formed of a mesh material which permits visibility of the retained object and includes a slot for insertion of a retained object. The article retained may be an object having a reference to luck, power, love or protection and may include either hair or paper or small object.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to jewelry and particularly to necklacesand suspended ornaments having a storage compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lockets and other jewelry have been known to have compartments thereinfor retaining photographs or other objects, in fact, even in Victoriantimes brooches and lockets were used to retain a lock of hair in acompartment. Other uses for pendants have included containers forperfumes, medications or cremation ashes. Human nature has alwayssearched for love, health and wealth. Religion and spiritual orsupernatural beliefs give answers and guidance to these searches. These;give birth to all kinds of magical beliefs and superstitions and; createrituals, amulets, and good luck charms.

An example are the Milagros; which are offered to saints as a reminderof the petitioner's need. For a sore arm, a tiny silver arm is hung onthe saint; for a pig to bear many piglets, the owner will pin a pigmilagro on the saint's robe. Each Saint is known for differentattributes; San Francis is known to help with animals and Saint Anthonyto find lost objects, so; people will request the saint according to theneed. Iberians in Spain before Christ, used similar Milagros to the onesemployed today in Spain, other Mediterranean countries and most LatinAmerica.

Inspired by the milagros tradition and responding to a portable need;due to traveling and lack of space: a functional, “carry on”, new kindof jewelry item was designed. The person asking for the grace, can carrythe Saint image, cross, or any other form of jewelry and insert in it asmall “miracle” or paper with the name of the beloved or whatever iconor good luck charm he chooses to conceal as a reminder; and still keepit so private nobody else will know.

Designs for these containers have focused on various aspects includingornamental design and container closure apparatus. However, none of theprior pendant designs have focused on an object retention apparatuswithin the container.

In view of the foregoing it can be seen that there is a need for adevice for secure concealment of a memento or icon within a piece ofjewelry, within a mechanism that is in essence very different fromtraditional forms that have been used for such purposes. The peculiardesigns of the various holding mechanisms, which allow at once for thesafekeeping, accessibility, and concealment of the object, withoutinterfering with the outward form and design of the article of jewelry,represent both innovative and practical means to achieve such purposes.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an article of jewelry with acompartment having retaining apparatus therein.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a hidden articleretaining apparatus which.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article retainingapparatus having a slot for receiving an object therein.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pendant having acompartment for receiving the article retaining apparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pendant in theshape of a cross.

In summary, the invention is a mechanism designed to retain a keepsake,such as a memento or good-luck item, concealed within an article ofjewelry by means of a hollow space and an insertion device held in placeby means of a concealable system involving, alternatively, a screw, aclasp, or other locking mechanism. The insertion device involves a typeof male-female system with a variety of holding mechanisms that willserve to hold in place the keepsake item (for example a piece of paper,a lock of hair, or any other small memento). Two alternative designs areprovided, the first is designed to hold a lock of hair, a small piece ofpaper, or another type of small, flexible memento like a chain orribbon. The first alternative includes a slot in an elongated holder forthe insertion of a flexible object. One end of the object will beinserted on the slot and the remainder of the object is wrapped aboutthe elongated holder. The second design includes an empty compartmentdesigned to receive various amulets, milagros or souvenirs. Thecompartment may also included a guiding rail to assist in retention ofthe inserted items. These two designs may also be used in combination toretain diverse items. The invention is intended for use within anyarticle of jewelry on which it may, because of its shape, be adaptedwith sufficient space to hold a small keepsake. Examples are a ChristianCross or a Jewish Star of David, a saint medallion but is not to belimited to religious objects or icons. It may similarly be used inletter-shaped pendants, bracelets, or other designs. The invention drawsfor inspiration from the tradition of concealing things of personal andsentimental value within items of jewelry kept close to one's person,ideally one's heart or wrist.

Innovative aspects of the invention are the ability to provide amechanism by means of which the wearer can extract the object heldwithin the device by means of a simple turn of a screwing device orloosening of a clasp, while yet having the object retain its integrityas an article of jewelry that does not at first appearance resemble theform of a traditional reliquary or brooch.

In summary, the invention is directed to an insertion and retainingdevice, including but not limited to the hollow space, the variousretaining devices, and the concealed locking mechanisms to be used injewelry design as a way to hold keepsakes of different kinds withinvarious forms of wearable jewelry. The invention, in other words, canturn an ordinary object of jewelry into a reliquary by means of a systemthat does not interfere with the outward appearance of the piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 plan view of a cross of FIG. 2 with portions broken away toreveal the retaining devices therein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cross showing article retainingapparatus therein;

FIG. 3 shows the cross of FIG. 2 having an end cap and retainingapparatus separated from the body of the cross;

FIG. 4 is a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment having a slot retaining apparatus;

FIG. 8 show the embodiment of FIG. 8 with a ribbon held in the slot;

FIG. 9 show an embodiment having a hollow receptacle and a cap; and

FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of FIG. 10 with the cap attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now with reference to FIGS. 1-3, a pendant 10 is shown having a crossshape. The pendant 10 may be formed of other shapes which permit ahollow interior 11 and may be constructed of gold, silver or othermetals or other shape holding materials such as wood or plastic or suchmaterials in combination. The pendant 10 includes a round post 12 and around transom 14. The post 12 includes a top cap 16 having an attachingring 17 and a bottom cap 18. The transom 14 includes a left cap 20 and aright cap 22. Each cap 16, 18, 20, and 22 are retained in place througheither screw threads or a press fit connection. Connected to each cap16, 18, 20 and 22 is an article retaining apparatus 24, 26, 28 and 30,respectively. Alternatively, the pendant 10 may contain only a singleretaining apparatus. Each of the retaining apparatus includes preferablyan elongated tube 32 which may be solid or formed from a mesh screen.The screen material allows for charms such as hair or paper to bevisible through the mesh screen. The charm may be a symbol for love,power, protection or luck such as a lock of hair or a slip of paperhaving a message thereon. A slot 34 is formed along the length of thetube 32. The slot 34 allows a length or lock of hair or other objectsuch as paper to be inserted into the tube 32. The tube 32 facilitatesretention of the retained object.

Alternatively, a pendant 40 as shown in FIG. 4, wherein each of the post42 and transom 44 may have only one removable cap 46 respectively andtubular retaining apparatus 48. The post 42 and transom 44 are shown ashaving square cross-sections.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, a pendant 50 is shown wherein each ofthe post 52 and transom 54 have triangular cross sections as shown bythe end caps 56.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, a pendant 60 is shown wherein each ofthe post 62 and transom 64 have square cross sections, but the caps 66have a ball shape with a square plug 68 for retaining the caps 66.

Now with reference to FIG. 7, the tube 70 is shown in greater detail.Tube 70 may be slidable within a portion of an article of jewelry 72 andhave a slot 74 for retaining a charm 76 such as a ribbon as shown inFIG. 8. Various other articles may be retained in the slot such as achain, hair or paper, etc. The tube 70 can be retracted within a recess78 in the article of jewelry 72.

Now with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the article of jewelry 72 mayinclude a hollow tube 80 for retaining a charm. The tube 80 is slidableto be received within the article of jewelry 72. A cap 82 having ahandle 84 is securely attachable to the article of jewelry 72 bycooperating threads 86 on the article of jewelry 72 and on the interiorof the cap 82 (not shown). The cap 82 may also include a retrievaldevice 88 for assisting in retracting the retained object.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, itis understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/oradaptations of the invention following in general the principle of theinvention and including such departures from the present disclosure ascome within the known or customary practice in the art to which theinvention pertains and as maybe applied to the central featureshereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention andthe limits of the appended claims.

1. A necklace comprising: a) a loop of material of sufficient length toencircle a wearer's neck; b) an ornament connected to said loop; c) saidornament having a hollow portion; d) said hollow portion having anopening in a first end; e) said ornament having a cap for covering saidfirst end, and f) an elongated tube adapted for insertion within saidhollow portion, and g) wherein said elongated tube is formed of mesh toallow said object within said tube to be visible.
 2. (canceled)
 3. Thenecklace as set forth in claim 1, wherein: a) said tube includes a slotextending along its length.
 4. The necklace as set forth in claim 1wherein: a) said ornament forms a cross shape and said hollow portion isformed in a transom of said ornament.
 5. (canceled)
 6. (canceled)
 7. Anarticle of jewelry comprising: a) a hollow body portion connected to aloop of material for retaining said hollow body portion on a wearer; b)a separate container adapted for insertion within said hollow bodyportion; c) a cap having a threaded portion for engaging a cooperatingthreaded portion on said hollow body portion for securely attaching saidcap to said hollow body portion and retaining said container within saidhollow body portion; and, d) an article retrieval device connected tosaid cap for extracting an object retained within said container.
 8. Thearticle of jewelry as set forth in claim 7, wherein: a) said containerforms a tube shape.
 9. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 7,wherein: a) said hollow body portion forms a cross and said container isadapted for insertion in a transom of said cross.
 10. An article ofjewelry, comprising: a) a hollow body portion connected to a loop ofmaterial for retaining said hollow body portion on a wearer; b) saidhollow body portion forms a cross having a vertical hollow portionhaving a top end and a bottom end and a horizontal hollow portion havinga first end and a second end; and c) each of said top, bottom, first andsecond ends having a removeable cap having an article retainingapparatus connected thereto.